French company INSIDE Secure reckons it has an answer with its VaultIC160 ‘memory-enriched NFC-based security solution’.

“By incorporating the VaultIC160 in their products, manufacturers of high-end consumer goods, such as handbags, “grand cru” wine, watches and consumables can track their products through distribution and retail channels, and allow consumers to use an NFC-equipped smartphone — or a simple contactless reader — to verify that the product is an original and not a counterfeit, and to access the other information stored on the chip.”

INSIDE Secure’s VaultIC160 chip can apparently be embedded into a product without leaving a visible trace, thus making the protection invisible. Much like the measures taken to prevent against counterfeit notes being made, copying the exact specifications and data embedded on an item’s NFC tag could make a dent in black market merch doing the rounds.